About the Artist
Embedded Files
Shamgar Espina (b. 2000) captures food and fragments of everyday life, finding interest in things that are ordinary, familiar, and easily overlooked. Working across painting, sculpture, and illustration, he looks more closely at these subjects to uncover stories hidden within the simplest parts of life.
Shamgar Espina with his work, Ano’ng Baon Ko?. Sculptural mixed-media installation. 12.92 ft. x 1.42 ft. x 2.49 ft. Profile shot. UP Fine Arts Parola, Gallery One, 2026. Photo by Mitch Mangalindan.
"I grew up in the city, where everything moves quickly and routines can become so ordinary that they fade into the background. Admittedly, these things can feel "nakakasawa", or something we grow tired of and eventually stop noticing. This made me interested in slowing down and looking again from a different angle, and see what else the ordinary can reveal."
"I draw inspiration from what already exists around me, whether it is a meal, an everyday object, an expression, or a piece of everyday language. Food became one of my recurring subjects because of my interest in cooking, eating, and the culture and stories surrounding it. Rather than treating food simply as a subject, I see it as a language through which I explore memory, emotion, and culture."
Close up shot of Kapos from Ano’ng Baon Ko?. Sculptural mixed-media installation. 12.92 ft. x 1.42 ft. x 2.49 ft. UP Fine Arts Parola, Gallery One, 2026. Photo by Mitch Mangalindan.
"Artmaking becomes an opportunity for me to give meaning and uncover stories within the ordinary and invite others into the simple act of noticing."
"My creative process often begins outside the studio through small acts of noticing. I take quick photographs, fill pages of my sketchbook or “visual diary” with loose sketches, or simply keep in mind what catches my attention...
...Back in the studio, these documentations become starting points for new works. Some develop into oil or acrylic paintings, while others take shape as sculptures or as brush pen and ink illustrations."
"A not-so-fun fact about me: I’ve been painting with only three colors, red, yellow, and blue, for almost a decade now. This has taught me to create a variety of color palettes. Ultramarine blue is my go-to and all-time favorite shade of blue. For my sculptures, particularly those featuring food, I use my own handmade air-dry clay called cold porcelain clay."
Shamgar Espina with his 2026 Outstanding Thesis Award. UP University Theatre, 2026.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the UP Diliman College of Fine Arts, where he received the 2026 Outstanding Thesis Award for his undergraduate thesis, Ano'ng Baon Ko?, an installation of sculptural mixed-media food forms in lunchboxes representing Shamgar's personal experiences of grief, exploring how it is contained and carried alongside everyday responsibilities.
Shamgar Espina with his work, Ano’ng Baon Ko?. Sculptural mixed-media installation. 12.92 ft. x 1.42 ft. x 2.49 ft. Back view. UP Fine Arts Parola, Gallery One, 2026. Photo by Mitch Mangalindan.
His works have been featured in notable exhibitions such as Pagkilala: A Showcase for Contemporary Filipino Art at Tawid Gallery (2021), Hala! Bold? at Anima Art Space (2023), and the art-driven charity exhibition Project Hulmahan (2023). He has also participated in Worldbex (2026) and multiple runs of Art in the Park, one of Manila’s leading contemporary art fairs.
Shamgar Espina with his work, Un Amour Comme L'Orange, for Hala! Bold? exhibition, Anima Art Space, 2023. Photo by Mitch Mangalindan.
Currently
Shamgar is currently developing new works that continue his exploration of food, everyday life, and familiar scenes through painting, sculpture, and illustrations.
Get in Touch
For inquiries, collaborations, or to learn more about Shamgar Espina’s artworks, feel free to reach out. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a gallery, or just curious about his art practice, he welcomes the opportunity to connect.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse